Space vehicles such as satellites or resident space objects (RSO) typically encounter significant gravity torque (e.g., environmental torque, environmental torque disturbances, etc.) following launch during maneuvers to a final orbit. Typically, a satellite or resident space object (RSO) orbiting the Earth may be positioned in a parking or initial orbit (e.g., a first orbit) before performing an initial maneuver to initiate a transfer orbit (geosynchronous transfer orbit, etc.) to reach a final orbit. The satellite may then perform a final maneuver to maintain the final orbit. For example, the satellite may start from a low earth orbit (LEO) and maneuver through a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) to reach a final geosynchronous orbit (GEO). During these maneuvers, gravity torque and/or momentum increases of a satellite may require significant use of thrusters and/or momentum devices.
To counteract this gravity gradient torque and/or momentum, some typical satellites utilize reaction wheels that are located within these satellites. In particular, a reaction wheel includes a flywheel that may rotate at different speeds for attitude control of a satellite. However, these reaction wheels require additional payload space and/or weight and may also require energy to operate. Further, some more recent satellites employ deployable solar panels to generate power while such satellites move towards a final orbit, thereby increasing a moment of inertia and, thus, greater susceptibility to gravity gradient torques, thereby necessitating use of relatively larger reaction wheels, which, in turn, require more payload space and weight for respective launch vehicles.